Improvement in shifting carriage-rails



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. KEENEY, OF WAIIPUN, WISCONSIN.

IMPROVEMENT IN SHIFTING CARRIAGE-RAILS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 129,140, datedJuly 16,1872.

Specification describing a new and useful Improved ShiftingCarriage-Rail, invented by WILLIAM H. KEENEY, o'f Waupun, county of Fonddu Lac and State of Wisconsin.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l represents a sectional side viewof a carriage-seat provided with myimproved shifting-rail. Fig. 2 is atop view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

In constructing my improved device I use the ordinary rail D, to whichthe carriage-top is secured, and to the under side of this rail D, Isecure permanently two studs, b, at the rear, and two studs, a, at thefront or near the ends. These studs each have their lower ends formedlike a tenon to fit into recesses made for them, and each has a recessor notch formed in one edge of this tenen part, as shown clearly in Fig.1the rear ones b having the notch formed in their rear edges, whiletheir front ones a have the notch formed in their front edges or sides.I then attach a hand-rail, B, to front end of the raised ends or sidepieces of the seat A, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and through each ofthese make a vertical hole for the front hooks a to fit into, thesehooks be ing of sufficient len gth to protrude through the rail B andbring the notch entirely belowl the rail, as represented in Fig. l. Onthe under side of these hand-rails B I pivot a lever, E, in such aposition that their rear ends will lit in the notch on the front side ofthe hooks or lugs a., thus locking them fast, as shown in Fig. 1, thelever E turning laterally on the pivot G. At the back of the seat Iextend up two metal straps, C, which are bent bach at their upper endsso as to protrude over the top of the back of the seat A, as shown inFig. l. In this bent portion of these straps G I form a vertical slot,F, which runs out at the front side, but is not cut through at the rear,thus leaving at the rear side a solid portion of the proper thickness tofill the notch in the rear side of the studs b.

With the parts thus constructed the operation is as follows: The top isset upon the seat, with the hook portion of the lugs b resting in theslots F, when the top is shoved back as far as it will go, therebycausing the hooks on the studs b to engage with the rea-r portion of thestraps C, when the front studs@ are dropped into the holes in the frontor hand rails B, and

the levers E are swung so as to lock into the notches on the front ofsaid studs a, thereby securing the cover firmly in place, as representedin Fig. l. To remove the top the levers E are disengaged, the studs alifted out of their seats, and the cover drawn slightly forward todisengage the rear hooks, when the top is lifted off.

The device is exceedingly simple and efficient, and can be used withoutspringing the rail D to bring the studs into place, and without turningthe top over, asin many others.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- The perforatedhand-rails B, having the levers E pivoted to their under side, with theslotted straps G, and the rail D, provided with the studs a and b,having notches formed in their opposite faces, and all arranged tooperate as and for the purpose herein set forth.

. vWILLIAM H. KEENEY.

Witnesses:

J onN RUPE, JOHN A. MIDDAUGH.

